Category: Accompaniments

Accompaniments · Do-ahead

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

Belinda

I am reading and adapting recipes from a book called “Vegan YumYum” by Lauren Ulm.
This is one of the recipes with a few modifications. Extra tasty, you won’t miss regular Caesar dressing and it’s completely cholesterol free!  No cheese or anchovies! The nutritional yeast and miso make it taste as if there is Parmesan cheese in it.
This recipe makes about 1&1/2 cups.

1/4 cup slivered almonds (raw)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp mellow white miso
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or more if you like it really garlicky)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 pinches salt
2 pinches ground pepper
About 1/2 block of silken tofu (6 oz)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, but I use it as it contains protein and is really good for you)
2 tbsp water or more oil , to thin out the dressing if necessary

Make the dressing by putting ALL the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
That’s it!!

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Watercress mayonnaise

Belinda

This is a recipe from the British “Delicious” magazine that I have tweaked. It is delicious with warm or cold poached salmon or chicken, used as a crudite dip or even spooned over hard boiled eggs.It keeps in the fridge for 2 -3 days.
Watercress is available in Los Angeles in the better supermarkets and usually comes in bunches. It has a peppery strong flavor and is incredibly rich in iron and anti oxidents

Serves 8

2 extra large organic egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp good Dijon mustard (I love Edmund Faillot)
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
3 & 1/2 fl oz olive oil
7 oz sunflower oil
about 4 oz watercress, bunched if possible, with large stalks trimmed
optional- small handful fresh basil

Put the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, white wine vinegar and salt in a food processor and blend very briefly to mix.
Mix the olive oil and sunflower oils together.
Turn on the machine again and very slowly trickle the oil through the funnel of the food processor until you have a thick emulsion.
Stop the machine and add the trimmed watercress (and fresh basil if using), blend once more until well mixed in.
Spoon into a bowl and if it’s too thick mix in a little water to loosen.
Cover and chill.

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Green Goddess dressing

Belinda

I don’t understand why this is not used as much these days. It’s fabulous!
A great idea is to slice tomatoes in half, put a piece of mozzarella and basil inside and sandwich them together then pour over the Green Goddess dressing. The dressing will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

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This recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing, the recipe is slightly adapted from  the original recipe from”The Palace Restaurant” in San Francisco.

1/3 heaped cup fresh chives or green onions (packed in to a measuring cup)
1/3 heaped cup fresh tarragon, (packed into a measuring cup, tarragon is optional but if you like tarragon it’s really good in this dressing)
1/3 heaped cup fresh Italian (flat leaf)  parsley (packed into a measuring cup)
1 1/2  tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2  tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp anchovy paste (or more, depending on how much you like anchovies)
1 cup mayonnaise (a good brand like Kraft or Helmanns)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

I used a food processor for this recipe, it makes life a lot simpler.
Measure 1/4 cup each of chives (or green onions) tarragon and parsley and add to the food processor.
Pulse the processor until the fresh herbs are finely chopped then add the lemon juice, white wine vinegar and anchovy paste and pulse a few more times.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper and run the food processor about 20 to 30 seconds or until the ingredients are well combined,
Chill at least for a few hours before serving

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Provencal oil cured olive tapenade

Belinda

This is my very favorite tapenade as it’s made from oil cured Provence olives (if you can get them). It’s dark, rich and powerful tapenade and you need very little on a cracker or fish or chicken fillet. We always have some in our fridge as it has a great shelf life.
You can “play” with this recipe as far as how much lemon, garlic, anchovies you use. Some people add breadcrumbs, mustard or ground almonds for a different taste and consistency
If you can’t find the jars of black olives cured with Herbes de Provence (Vicente Foods supplies them, for my LA Westside friends)  then you can use the brand “Cento” and add a little more fresh thyme. The Cento olives are even darker and oilier than the Provence ones.

1/2 lb oil -packed black olives, drained
6 well rinsed anchovy fillets
3 tbsp drained capers
1/2 heaped tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 good sized cloves garlic, crushed

Break open the olives by pressing on them with the back of a wooden spoon, then remove the pits.
Put the olives, anchovies, capers, thyme and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until a paste is formed.
With the motor running, add the olive oil a little at a time until the paste is smooth but not oily.
Use the tapenade immediately or put it in a covered jar and store it in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 months

Note;  This is lovely wiped on top of a piece of fish, then grilled or baked, on crackers, on a fillet of chicken, in any sort of dish you’re cooking, in soups, with cheese……..

 

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Ginger cranberry sauce

Belinda

This is vibrant and tangy and the ginger gives it a somewhat exotic flavor.

1 large red onion cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1lb fresh cranberries
zest and juice of 3 large oranges
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a non-reactive saucepan coated lightly with oil on a medium heat, saute the onions, ginger and orange zest until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and season.
Simmer for 30 minutes until very soft.
Check for seasoning and put aside until needed, or freeze until Thanksgiving/Christmas

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat · Nuts

Grand Marnier and Apricot Stuffing with your Thanksgiving turkey

Belinda

As we’re getting near to Thanksgiving, I wanted to share some of our favorite recipes. This makes enough for a 21lb turkey, but I do it outside the turkey in a separate dish.

1 cup diced, dried apricots
1 1/2 cups Grand Marnier
1 turkey liver and heart
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups coarsely chopped celery (I peel mine)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1lb bulk pork sausage meat (I like to use sweet Italian sausage, because of the fennel taste)
1lb herb stuffing mix
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Place the apricots and 1 cup Grand Marnier in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Simmer the turkey liver and heart in water to cover in a small saucepan for 5 mins. Set aside to cool.
Melt 1/2 cup of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and saute for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Cook the pork sausage meat in the same skillet, crumbling with a fork, until it is no longer pink. Remove from the heat and add to the celery mixture.
Add the stuffing mix, apricots with liquid, and almonds. Finely dice the turkey livers and heart and add to the stuffing mixture. Stir to combine.
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the stock in a small saucepan just until the butter melts. Pour over the stuffing mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Grand Marnier.
Stir well to moisten the stuffing.
Season with the thyme and salt and pepper to taste.